Marine NZ

VELVET: the Travelling Tuna Tapestry on Display in Whangarei this Saturday

18 Jan 2012 | 5 Comments

A Project to Help Return the Mauri (Life & Soul) to the Wai (Water)

The Northland based Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust will be showcasing an ambitious international environmental & social art project, in which all visitors are invited to be a part, that focuses on New Zealand’s own native longfin eel!

Several years ago Stephanie Bowman, an artist and science educator from the southwest desert of the United States came to NZ as a traveller longing to experience what she believed to be a land of pristine, healthy waters. But, when she visited the South Island’s Lake Rotoiti she found herself falling in love with a mysterious, graceful (and sometimes slimy!) fish that revealed to her a different story hidden beneath the surface of our blue waters. “The longfin (eel) is simply amazing”, says Stephanie, four round-trip tickets later, but still with a look of astonishment in her eyes. “These threatened and important top predators are found nowhere else in the world and are a crucial part of this country’s cultural history”. Indeed, not only can the longfin eel live over 100 years before being able to reproduce once, but when they do set off out to sea to mate, they morph and become creatures of the ocean depths, travelling thousands of kilometers to the deep sea trenches near Tonga where they
finally mate and die. After making an ancient and risky journey, the elvers (baby eels) re-appear to live in New Zealand’s freshwaters a couple years later.

Surf comp for Maui’s

11 Jan 2012 | 3 Comments

WWF-NZ Mountains to Sea/ Ki Uta ki Tai
Some of New Zealand’s top surfers and skaters will be competing in a special event to help raise awareness of the critically endangered Maui’s dolphin, which is found only off the West Coast of the North Island.

People are invited to come down to watch the events on Saturday 14th January 2012
Surf comp
10am -12pm, Piha Beach (either side of Lion Rock)
Check out the New Zealand Billabong surf team in action, including Keone Campbell, Sam Willis, Matt Scorringe, Blair Stewart, Bucky Woods, and Dune Kennings.

Skateboard comp
4:00pm - 5:00pm at Amazon Boardstore, 74 St Georges Bay Road Parnell Featuring Chey Ataria, Justin Watene, and Simon Thorp amongst others.

Okaihau school set to present marine experiences to the community

30 Nov 2011 | 5 Comments

Year 5 & 6 students at Okaihau primary school have been participating in the Experiencing Marine Reserves (EMR) this term.

The programme started at the beginning of the term with an introduction to marine biodiversity and conservation in the classroom with programme director Samara Nicholas before learning to snorkel in the pool.

The next stage of the programme was to investigate the local marine environment; we explored the underwater world of Matauri Bay